Men’s 2015 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Preview

On Friday and Saturday, the NCAA’s best runners will face off in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the NCAA indoor championships.

The full slate of men’s races should be exhilarating. Here are a few things to keep an eye on:

Will Oregon’s super sophomore Edward Cheserek[4] claim another pair of individual indoor titles? Will Cheserek lead the Ducks to the DMR win?

With five entrants in the field, just how many points will Oregon pick up in the 3,000m?

Will the Arkansas duo of Kemoy Campbell and Stanley Kebeni pick up significant points for the home team in the 3,000m?

Can Florida dethrone the defending champion Oregon Ducks? Or will Oregon’s distance runners carry the day?

Below, RT takes a look at the top five qualifiers at this weekend’s championships in the mile, 3,000m and 5,000m.

A full list of accepted qualifiers can be found for the men, here[5]. Read a preview of the women’s meet, here[6].

Men’s Mile

1. Cristian Soratos[7], senior, Montana State, 3:55.27Convinced he was sub-4:00 material while attending community college three years ago, Soratos chipped away at his goal before a stunning breakthrough this winter. The Bobcat senior is short on big race experience—this will be his first DI national meet—but easily topped a strong field at the UW Husky Classic when he ran his season-leading 3:55 last month.

2. Edward Cheserek, sophomore, Oregon, 3:56.43Last year’s freshman sensation who won national titles at 3,000m and 5,000m in Albuquerque is changing things up this indoor season. Cheserek has only raced two individual events this season—one of them being his first sub-4:00 mile at the Millrose Games. He’ll also compete in the 3,000m and DMR, where the Ducks will be expected to challenge for the win with Cheserek anchoring.

3. Brannon Kidder, junior, Penn State, 3:57.13Possessing strong 800m ability with a 1:46.87 personal best, Kidder finished 12th in the 1500m at last June’s outdoor championships. He was runner-up to Soratos at Husky and is a key to the success of Penn State’s potent DMR.

4. Julian Oakley, junior, Providence, 3:57.22Oakley came to Providence from his native New Zealand, where he won several national junior and secondary schools titles. He has yet to win a major collegiate race but is coached by one of the very best in Ray Treacy.

5. Patrick Joseph, freshman, Virginia Tech, 3:57.44The 2014 USATF junior champion at 1500m, Joseph redshirted indoor track last year before advancing to the East preliminary outdoors with a 3:44.98 in the 1500m at Payton Jordan. His 3:57.44 qualifying mile this indoor season is a conversion from the 4:00.47 he ran on a 200m flat track. Joseph will also run for the Hokies’ fourth-seeded DMR team.

Men’s 3,000m

1. Eric Jenkins, senior, Oregon, 7:44.91Jenkins has taken some of the spotlight from teammate Cheserek after recording season-leading marks in two events this winter. The Northeastern transfer, fourth at 5,000m outdoors last June, will be favored to win the 5,000m Friday evening. Jenkins will be joined by four of his Oregon teammates in the 3,000m final Saturday.

2. Will Geoghegan, senior, Oregon, 7:45.71Fifth in the mile at Albuquerque last year while he was attending Dartmouth, Geoghegan transferred to Oregon to complete his final year of track eligibility. He has run three strong races this indoor season, including a 3:58.36 mile for second place at the MPSF championships.

3. Kemoy Campbell, senior, Arkansas, 7:48.13A veteran performer for the Razorbacks, Campbell was runner-up at 3,000m in 2013 but redshirted the 2014 season. He rolled to a 3,000m/5,000m double at the SEC championships last month and is also scheduled to anchor Arkansas’ second-seeded DMR team on their home track.

4. Jeramy Elkaim, junior, Oregon, 7:48.48The third Oregon Duck to earn a top-five seed in the event, Elkaim surprised by winning a very competitive MPSF 3,000m final last month. His up-and-down career is once again on the upswing as he looks to help the Ducks score significant points in the 3,000m.

5. Colby Gilbert, freshman, Washington, 7:49.25After redshirting cross country and track his first year at Washington, Gilbert won the 5,000m at the U.S. junior championships and went on to finish ninth in the event at the World Junior Championships in 2014. Lightly raced this indoor season, Gilbert has competed only three times, all on the oversized Washington track.

Men’s 5,000m

1. Eric Jenkins, senior, Oregon, 13:31.76Jenkins has been atop the 5,000m rankings since late January, when he cruised to a seven-second win at Kentucky’s Rod McCravy Invitational. He’ll be the clear favorite in this event, based on impeccable form that extends back to last spring when he finished fourth in the 5,000m outdoors. He was runner-up to teammate Cheserek at cross country nationals in November, Jenkins will be joined by Ducks Parker Stinson and Will Geoghegan in this event.

2. Thomas Curtin, junior, Virginia Tech, 13:38.56A breakthrough performance at last month’s Iowa State Classic saw Curtin trim 20 seconds off his 5,000m personal best to nab a win. This will be the first NCAA track championship for Curtin, who redshirted both indoors and out last year. He will also compete in the 3,000m, where he has the season’s 10th-best time, and handle anchor duty for the Hokies in the DMR.

3. Parker Stinson, senior, Oregon, 13:38.68Wrapping up his Oregon career this indoor season, the six-time All-American Stinson looks to improve on his third-place finish in this event a year ago. Also running the 3,000m, Stinson’s best chance of cracking the top three—and picking up significant points for defending champs—will be in the 5,000m.

4. Pierce Murphy, junior, Colorado, 13:39.29Murphy scored a big PR at the UW Husky Classic last month, trimming 17 seconds off his previous best indoor mark. He only managed 14th in the MPSF 3,000m, but still picked up a career best in the event.

5. Craig Lutz, junior, Texas, 13:40.30After a strong cross country season, Lutz ventured onto the indoor track in mid-December to impress with a then-personal best 13:47.09 runner-up performance at the Hoosier Open. He improved on that mark two months later at the Husky Classic. He has also hit PRs in the mile and 3,000m this season.